The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-03-19
'rRoU-FRoU."
An Artistic Success Achieved by Miss For.
tcscus aud Her Company.

"Ftou-Frou" belongs to "a class Of plays
which may be depended upon to retain a
hold upon tho people, and 1t is one Of the
best Of its class. 1t is decidedly and es-
aentislly French. Where else than in
France could the elopement Of a married
woman be forgotten in elk weeks? Where
else would her old friends follow her to
her new home and meet her and him 10.
gether as though nothing had happened ?
The moral is good, all good, but q mar.
ried woman in the arms Of her husbands
rival, that is IN episode that would be
better related than presented in flesh and
blood. The due! between the husband
aud the wiie's lover could be made very
effective, but in better taste there is a
mere suggestion. and something is left to
the imagination. So it might we'll be
with the other.
But we must take .'Frou.Frou" as it is,
and as it is it is a atrong and captivating
play. Last night it was given with fine
effect in the Opera House. Miss Forteacue
brings q very strong company, in which
the honors are well divided between her
self Mr.. Newton Gotthold Henri de Sar-
t0ry's) and Miss Alice Crowther (Louise),
The grace and quiet force OF MI. Gott-
holds acting-the life-likeness Of his
every tone and movement-sweep away
all signs Of the art and leave the natural
man living the character; and this Is the
highest artistic SUCCESS. Miss Crowther
has excellent presence and voice and the
true dramatic instinct.
Miss Fortescue gave very great salts.
faction. She is unquestionab!y a good
actress and a good Frou.Frou. Being this
it follows that she has intelligence, love
Of the art, cultivation and power. She
ought to please in anything she consents
to attempt. Her comedy play is very fine.
Her emotion, though by no means COM
monplace, Is also by no means on the
higher level OF greatness, for she is lacking
in depth and intensity Of feeling. The
art is there but the soul is wanting. In
the fourth act, in the house OF do Val
reas, we have a Frou- Frou finely chiseled
in marble; there is no warmth in marble.
The death scene is capitally done, and
this is no easy achievement.
In Miss Fortescue's delivery there is a
certain something not easily described.
Her accent and phrasing IRE certainly not
English. She talks like a French woman
VIZ hAohb IuSllo4 Woil Anu uNS hlulOHL,
but not quite, learned to speak it like q
native. Add to this great rapidly Of ut
%terance, and the effect 10 a frequent diff
Guilty to understand what Miss Fortescue
ls saying. Her manner ia pronouncedly
French; this .accords with the character
and msy be assumed.only for q French
character. The. play being given in Eng
lish, the speech ought to ba as English as
though Frou Frou were an English woman.
Miss Fortescue is very graceful, except in
the movement Of her feet, which she
does not quite seem to know what to do
with. And is it the habit of English ladies,
or for that matter French, to throw them.
selves often, and ever awkwardly, into
the crosalegged attitude when they
sit? Tho costumes were very elaborate
and becoming. At the matinee to-day
Gretchen tonight liking Rene's
Daughter" and "Sweethearts." Miss For
tescue and her fine company should be
seen by all means.